12:57:00

Neil Redfearn: We need to get our noses in front in games

Rotherham boss Neil Redfearn believes
scoring the first goal in games could be the key to turning their season around.

The Millers are destined for
a Christmas in the bottom three after Tuesday night’s loss at Huddersfield and
with just four wins from their first 21 games they are already up against it to
retain their Championship status.

One cause of their struggles
this season has been a regular habit of falling behind in games and being
unable to get anything out of them, picking up just one point from a losing
position.

They have only scored the
first goal six times this season, converting four of them into victories, while
being pegged back to draw at Charlton and lose at Nottingham Forest.

Both times the Millers have
gone in front in Redfearn’s spell have resulted in clean sheet and wins and the
boss wants it to start happening more often.

“Something as simple as
getting your noses in front, scoring the first goal, that is really important,”
the boss said. “We haven’t done it enough times, prior to me coming here and
also while we have been here.

“It’s something that we have
talked about and something we are aware about because it is something that is
important, especially in the Championship.

“The basic, simple facts are
then that the opposition has to get two to win and it’s psychological.

“We need to be in a position
where we get the first goal. It’s no coincidence that we get the first goal
against Leeds and win, we get the first goal against Bristol City and win. We
know the merits of getting a lead.”

Rotherham’s success over the
last few years has been based on an ability to mount recoveries from losing
positions.

They have failed to replicate
that so far this season and the 1-1 draw with Reading is the only time they
have battled back to register a point from a deficit.

And Redfearn believes that
could have something to do with an inherent lack of fitness in the Millers
squad, which was a result of a pre-season which “wasn’t great”.

“We didn’t have the energy
and it’s difficult to put things into place,” Redfearn said of Tuesday’s defeat
to Huddersfield. “It might well be that we have had a run of games where we
have had a good tempo and that might have been a first half too far.

“We have got to find it
within ourselves. I know from what I have been told that pre-season training
wasn’t great.

“We didn’t have a good enough
pre-season in terms of fitness so it is something we need to catch up.

“It’s got to this stage of
the season where we are maybe playing catch-up fitness wise but the lads have
shown a real resilience in previous games and a good fitness level.

“It’s something that we are
chipping away at and something we are improving.”